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| Yôgen Kaikitan by Kubouchi Yôko |
Warning! I use this image with its author, Kubouchi Yôko's permission. Please do not host it on another website, do not modify it, do not claim it as your own. Please respect Miss Kubouchi's work and intellectual property: ask for her permission beforehand (plus she's very nice and answers quickly).
Title: 妖幻怪奇譚
Author: 窪内葉子
Website: かしこ
Chapters: 17 (ongoing)
Keywords: occult, supernatural, clan, curse, yôkai, calm and level-headed heroine
Sakisaka Hina is part of an exorcists clan and she is a "cursed child". On her 17th birthday, her guardian god Amane, a hinnakami, comes to meet her. He's the one who has been protecting all the cursed children ever since the cursed began. He grants them any wish but in exchange he takes their soul to Hell after their death. That's why most cursed children resent him but Hina's different and she was looking forward to meet him.
I looooove this web comic. At the beginning it was a bit difficult for me because the art is a bit too BL-ish to my taste but once I started I got completely hooked. I find the main characters very realistic (the side characters a bit less). Hina is the BEST: she's calm, composed, doesn't whine, isn't aggressive, she's got ethics but doesn't go all Miss World "a world in peace". One one hand she's mature (and her short hair strengthens that image) but one the other hand she sometimes reacts childishly, even though she tries to controls herself.
If you're looking for an ersatz of Fruits Basket, go look elsewhere.
If you're looking for an ersatz of Fruits Basket, go look elsewhere.
The language level is pretty hard and there's plenty of references to the Japanese folklore like yôkai and such. There are extras explaining the different types of ayakashi appearing in the manga but unless you're a specialist in Japanese ethnology, it's not the kind of vocabulary you use in your every day's life. So get your dictionary ready. The text is typewritten and the page size is nice so it's easy to read.
Another good point: it's updated regularly for a web comic.
There's a little bit too much talking and not enough action but since its demographics is shôjo/josei this isn't abnormal. The characters are complex and have a "touch of humanity" which makes them pretty realistic, no one's all black or all white. However sometimes the plot got too complicated and I had to reread some parts once or twice (maybe for native speakers it's crystal clear but that wasn't the case for me).
A I said above, there isn't much action but it doesn't mean there's no violence. Most of it is psychological violence and so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 12. The supernatural theme in Yôgenkai Kitan makes me think of another web comic I love, Taijiya (for more info about it, please look at the "mini reviews" page of this blog). But that's on a whole different level as far as psychological violence is concerned. If you think the amount in Yôgen Kaikitan is normal then I encourage you to try Taijiya. If not, then keep away from it.
All in all, Yôgen Kaikitan is a very well executed supernatural love story with complex characters and plot. Some parts are a bit violent so not recommended for children. As for the Japanese, an intermediate level would be good but preferably an advanced level. In any case, get your dictionary ready.
Another good point: it's updated regularly for a web comic.
There's a little bit too much talking and not enough action but since its demographics is shôjo/josei this isn't abnormal. The characters are complex and have a "touch of humanity" which makes them pretty realistic, no one's all black or all white. However sometimes the plot got too complicated and I had to reread some parts once or twice (maybe for native speakers it's crystal clear but that wasn't the case for me).
A I said above, there isn't much action but it doesn't mean there's no violence. Most of it is psychological violence and so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 12. The supernatural theme in Yôgenkai Kitan makes me think of another web comic I love, Taijiya (for more info about it, please look at the "mini reviews" page of this blog). But that's on a whole different level as far as psychological violence is concerned. If you think the amount in Yôgen Kaikitan is normal then I encourage you to try Taijiya. If not, then keep away from it.
All in all, Yôgen Kaikitan is a very well executed supernatural love story with complex characters and plot. Some parts are a bit violent so not recommended for children. As for the Japanese, an intermediate level would be good but preferably an advanced level. In any case, get your dictionary ready.
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